Shayna Andrea Baszler ( ; born August 8, 1980) is an American
professional wrestler,
kickboxer
Kickboxing is a combat sport focused on kicking and punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general ...
and former
mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to
WWE, where she performs on the
SmackDown brand. Baszler is a former two-time and longest combined-reigning
NXT Women's Champion and a two-time
WWE Women's Tag Team Champion with
Nia Jax.
Baszler was trained in
mixed martial arts (MMA) by former
UFC fighter
Josh Barnett and in
catch wrestling by
Billy Robinson. She had her first professional MMA fight in 2006 and gained recognition in the following years for the use of her hammerlock submission set-up while on her back; a set-up which she has used to submit several opponents, including
Roxanne Modafferi. In an audio interview on the
Sherdog Radio Network, she dubbed the submission, which she created in training, as the "Shwing." Baszler was signed in 2013 by the UFC to participate on their reality television series ''
The Ultimate Fighter'' – she would go on to have two professional bouts (0-2) in the company. In 2015, she was cut from the UFC and started her
professional wrestling career that same year, again receiving training from Barnett. Baszler has an overall MMA record of 15 wins and 11 losses, with 13 wins by submission.
Martial arts background and persona
Baszler, a Khun Kru in the
Muay Thai
Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...
Kickboxing association and a
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...
brown belt, wanted to begin incorporating Josh Barnett's catch wrestling into her MMA training. This proved to be somewhat difficult because she could not train with Barnett in
Southern California, so Barnett wrote a syllabus and filmed a video to teach her the step-by-step techniques and concepts of catch wrestling and give her tips on how to improve her verbal skills.
Barnett suggested that Baszler carry an electric guitar to the cage to show that she was outspoken. Baszler reluctantly agreed, and the guitar became a signature of her rockstar-like persona. Later, Barnett gave Baszler "The Queen of Spades" nickname due to her ability to perform card tricks – the card magic nickname also gives a nod to her "
submission magic". Baszler refers to her fans as the "Queen's Army."
Mixed martial arts career
Early career (20062007)
Baszler faced Amanda Buckner at MFC: USA vs. Russia 3 on June 3, 2006. She lost the fight by TKO in the third round.
She faced Samantha Gavere at NFF: The Breakout on March 10, 2007. She won the fight by kimura submission in the first round.
Elite XC and Strikeforce (20072010)

Baszler debuted for
EliteXC at a
ShoXC event on July 27, 2007. She submitted veteran
Jan Finney with a first-round armbar and repeated the feat three months later against
Jennifer Tate. After defeating
Keiko Tamai with an impressive Twister submission at a third ShoXC event, Baszler moved up to the main EliteXC cards.
Baszler next faced
Cris Cyborg on
CBS television at
EliteXC: Unfinished Business on July 26, 2008.
She lost the fight via TKO in the second round.
Following EliteXC's closure, Baszler debuted for
Strikeforce
Strike Force may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Games
* ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game
*'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game
*'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game
*''Marvel Strike Force'', ...
at
Strikeforce Challengers: Villasenor vs. Cyborg on June 19, 2009 in a fight against
Sarah Kaufman
Sarah Elizabeth Kaufman (born September 20, 1985) is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist (MMA). She competed in the women's bantamweight division where she is a former Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship. Kaufman was the inaugural Strike ...
, but lost by unanimous decision.
Various promotions (20102012, 2017)
Baszler entered the Freestyle Cage Fighting Women's Bantamweight Grand Prix at FCF 39 on January 30, 2010 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. She submitted
Megumi Yabushita with a twister submission in the first round of their quarterfinal bout. It was the second time that Baszler had won an MMA fight with the unique submission. Baszler faced late replacement
Alexis Davis in the second round of the FCF tournament at FCF 40 on March 27, 2010. She defeated Davis by unanimous decision.
Baszler was scheduled to face
Jan Finney in the tournament final at FCF 43 on June 12, 2010.
However, Finney withdrew in order to compete in Strikeforce and Baszler faced Adrienna Jenkins instead. Baszler defeated Jenkins by first-round armbar to become FCF Women's Bantamweight Grand Prix Champion.
On November 19, 2010, Baszler faced
Elaina Maxwell
Elaina Maureen Maxwell (born December 16, 1978) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, and professional kickboxer.
As a three-time San Shou Champion & BJJ purple belt, she trains under the guidance of Kirian Fitzgibbons and Cesar Grac ...
at The Cage Inc.: Battle at the Border 7. Baszler defeated Maxwell by submission due to a kneebar in the first round to become the first TCI Women's 140 lbs Champion.
Baszler was scheduled to defend her TCI title in a rematch with
Alexis Davis at The Cage Inc.: Battle at the Border 10 on July 30, 2011. However, the fight was canceled after Davis signed with
Strikeforce
Strike Force may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Games
* ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game
*'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game
*'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game
*''Marvel Strike Force'', ...
.
Baszler agreed to face Kelly Kobold in a rematch at Cage Fighting Xtreme: Spring Brawl on April 21, 2012. However, it was announced on March 16 that the event had been canceled.
On February 25, 2017, Baszler was defeated by
Reina Miura at
Deep Jewels 15
These are the Deep Jewels events held by the Japanese mixed martial arts (MMA) organization Deep. The ''Jewels'' MMA events were previously held by Jewels before Deep absorbed its operations on .
''Deep Jewels 1''
''Deep Jewels 1'', originally ...
. This marked Baszler's last MMA fight.
Invicta Fighting Championships (20122013)
On April 28, it was announced that Baszler would face
Sara McMann in the main event of
Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann. The event took place on July 28, 2012. In a back-and-forth affair, Baszler lost the fight in what was considered to be a controversial unanimous decision. The bout was named Invicta's Fight of the Night.
Baszler faced
Sarah D'Alelio at
Invicta FC 3: Penne vs. Sugiyama on October 6, 2012. She defeated D'Alelio via submission due to a rear naked choke early in round two.
Baszler faced
Alexis Davis in a rematch at
Invicta FC 4: Esparza vs. Hyatt on January 5, 2013. She was defeated via technical submission due to a rear naked choke in round three. The bout was named Invicta's Fight of the Night.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (20132015)
''The Ultimate Fighter''
In August 2013, it was announced that Baszler was one of the fighters selected to be on
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate. In her fight to get into the TUF house, Baszler faced
Colleen Schneider
Colleen Schneider (born March 12, 1982 in Syracuse, New York) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist. Colleen was a contestant in season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter reality competition television show.
Early life
She attended C ...
and won via an armbar submission in the first round. Baszler was then selected by
Ronda Rousey as the first team pick and the first fight of the season against
Julianna Peña. Baszler lost to Peña after tapping out due to a rear naked choke in the second round.
Baszler was expected to face
Sarah Kaufman
Sarah Elizabeth Kaufman (born September 20, 1985) is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist (MMA). She competed in the women's bantamweight division where she is a former Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship. Kaufman was the inaugural Strike ...
at
The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale. However, on April 2, 2014, she pulled out of the bout due to an injury.
Early fights and departure
For her promotional debut, Baszler faced
Bethe Correia
Bethe Correia (; born June 22, 1983) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the women's bantamweight division. A professional mixed martial artist since 2012, Correia has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Earl ...
on August 30, 2014, at
UFC 177. She lost the fight via TKO in the second round.
Baszler faced
Amanda Nunes on March 21, 2015 at
UFC Fight Night 62
''UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. LaFlare'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 62'') was a mixed martial arts event held on March 21, 2015, at the Ginásio do Maracanãzinho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Background
After hosting a PPV event at the venue and ...
. She lost the fight via TKO in the first round after taking multiple leg kicks. After going 0–2 with the promotion, Baszler was released from the organization and went on to pursue a professional wrestling career.
Professional wrestling career
Independent circuit (2015–2017)
On March 1, 2015 at
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
's
13th Anniversary Show, Baszler accompanied
reDRagon to the ring for their
ROH World Tag Team Championship defense. After they won, she helped cut a celebratory promo, where they described her addition to the team as "
indingour
Ringo
Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...
". After training under
Josh Barnett, Baszler made her professional wrestling debut on September 26, 2015, losing to
Cheerleader Melissa for Quintessential Pro Wrestling (QPG) in Reno, Nevada. Baszler was attacked by
Nicole Matthews
Lindsay Miller (born January 15, 1987) is a Canadian professional wrestler better known by her ring name Nicole Matthews. Matthews regularly wrestles for Shimmer Women Athletes and Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling among other independent p ...
after the match, setting up a future match between them. On October 30, Baszler defeated Matthews in their first match against each other, but lost in their second meeting, a KO or submission only match in January 2016, won by Matthews via KO in just over 9 minutes. On July 17, Baszler defeated Ruby Raze to become the Premier Women's Champion at Premier XIII.
Baszler debuted for Absolute Intense Wrestling (AIW) in April 2016, losing to
Mia Yim. She returned to the promotion in June, defeating Veda Scott, and then again the following month, defeating Annie Social. On September 9, she defeated
Heidi Lovelace
Dori Elizabeth Prange ( ; born January 9, 1991) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to orld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) where she performs under the ring name Ruby Riot. Prange has also worked in World Wonder Ring Stardom (a ...
to become the AIW Women's Champion. She made her first successful defense against
Britt Baker on November 5, and again retained the championship against Ray Lyn and Ayzali in a three-way match for Rise Wrestling on November 10. She once again retained the championship against Lovelace in a rematch on November 25.
In June 2016, Baszler made her debut for
Shimmer Women Athletes at Volume 81, defeating Rhia O'Reilly. She defeated Solo Darling at volume 82, and at volume 83, she unsuccessfully challenged Nicole Savoy for the Heart Of Shimmer Championship. She once again defeated Mia Yim at Volume 85. She returned in November, teaming with
Mercedes Martinez in a loss to The Aussie Squad (
Kellie Skater and
Shazza McKenzie
Chantelle Allison (August 5, 1988) is an Australian professional wrestler better known by the ring name Shazza McKenzie. She is known for her work across the independent circuit for promotions such as Shine wrestling and SHIMMER Women Athletes. ...
) at volume 86. At Volume 87, she faced Kay Lee Ray, Heidi Lovelace and Vanessa Kraven in a fatal four-way match, won by Kraven. At Volume 88, she lost to Shazza McKenzie by disqualification. At Volume 89, she once again lost to McKenzie in a no disqualification match. At Volume 90, she once again defeated Heidi Lovelace.
World Wonder Ring Stardom (2015, 2017)
In October 2015, Baszler worked two events for Japanese promotion
World Wonder Ring Stardom, during their American tour in
Covina, California, first teaming with Brittany Wonder and Datura in a loss to Oedo Tai (
Act Yasukawa,
Kris Wolf
Kris Hernandez (born August 12, 1984) is an American retired professional wrestler, best known by the ring name Kris Wolf. She wrestled for World Wonder Ring Stardom in Japan, where she is a former High Speed Champion, as well as a founding member ...
and Kyoko Kimura), and unsuccessfully challenging Cheerleader Melissa for the GRPW Lady Luck Championship two days later. She returned to the promotion in January 2017, this time touring Japan. She made her debut on January 3, teaming with
Mayu Iwatani and Jungle Kyona to defeat
Sumie Sakai, Kagetsu and Kyoko Kimura. The following day, she teamed with
Nixon Newell and Kay Lee Ray to defeat Iwatani,
Kairi Hojo and Konami. The following day, she faced Himomi Mimura and Viper in a triple threat match won by Viper. On January 15, she took part in another triple threat match, this time defeating Momo Watanabe and Jungle Kyona. On January 29, she teamed with
Deonna Purrazzo and Christi Jaynes to defeat Kris Wolf, Viper and Kagetsu. On February 23, Baszler unsuccessfully challenged
Io Shirai for the
World of Stardom Championship.
WWE
NXT Women's Champion (2017–2020)

On August 28, 2017, Baszler entered the
Mae Young Classic tournament promoted by
WWE, defeating
Zeda in the first round. The following week, Baszler defeated
Mia Yim,
Candice LeRae, and
Mercedes Martinez en route to the final. On September 12, Baszler was defeated in the final of the tournament by
Kairi Sane.
Baszler made her
NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* '' WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* '' NXT UK'', the British spi ...
debut at a
house show
A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive du ...
on August 10, 2017, where she teamed with
The Iconic Duo
The IIconics are an Australian professional wrestling tag team consisting of Jessie McKay and Cassie Lee. They are best known for their time in WWE as The Iconic Duo and later The IIconics, under the individual names of Billie Kay and Peyton R ...
(
Billie Kay
Jessica McKay (born 23 June 1989) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Billie Kay and for her time in Impact Wrestling, where she competed as Jessie McKay.
In Jun ...
and
Peyton Royce
Cassandra McIntosh (born 10 November 1992) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Peyton Royce and for her time in Impact Wrestling where she performed as Cassie Le ...
) to face Kairi Sane,
Aliyah
Aliyah (, ; he, עֲלִיָּה ''ʿălīyyā'', ) is the immigration of Jews from Jewish diaspora, the diaspora to, historically, the geographical Land of Israel, which is in the modern era chiefly represented by the Israel, State of Israel ...
, and
Dakota Kai in a losing effort. On August 12, she made her singles debut by defeating Zeda. On October 3, WWE officially announced that Baszler had signed with the company and started training at the
WWE Performance Center.
On the December 6 episode of ''
NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* '' WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* '' NXT UK'', the British spi ...
'', a vignette aired teasing Baszler's televised debut. She made her televised debut by attacking Kairi Sane on the December 27 episode of ''NXT''. On the January 10, 2018 episode of ''NXT'', she made her in-ring debut, defeating
Dakota Kai by referee stoppage. Baszler continued to attack Kai until
NXT Women's Champion Ember Moon made the save, leading to a title match at
NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on January 27, where Moon defeated Baszler to retain the title, but was attacked by her afterwards. Baszler received another title match against Moon at
NXT TakeOver: New Orleans on April 7, where Baszler defeated Moon by technical submission to win the NXT Women's Championship.
She then began a feud with
Nikki Cross
Nicola Glencross (born 21 April 1989) is a Scottish professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Nikki Cross. She is a one-time WWE Raw Women's Champion, three-time WWE Women's Tag Team ...
, culminating in a title match at
NXT TakeOver: Chicago II on June 16, which Baszler won.
At
NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 on August 18, Baszler lost the title to Kairi Sane, ending her reign at 133 days. At
Evolution on October 28, she defeated Sane in a rematch to regain the title, becoming the first-ever two-time NXT Women's Champion. Baszler went on to successfully defend her title against Sane at
NXT TakeOver: WarGames on November 17,
Bianca Belair at
NXT TakeOver: Phoenix on January 26, 2019, and in a
fatal four-way match against Sane, Belair, and
Io Shirai at
NXT TakeOver: New York on April 5. Baszler then started a feud with Shirai, retaining her title against Shirai at
NXT TakeOver: XXV on June 1 and on the June 26 episode of ''NXT'' in a
steel cage match to end the feud. At
NXT TakeOver: Toronto on August 10, she defeated
Mia Yim to retain her title.
On the November 1 episode of ''
SmackDown'', Baszler was the first NXT wrestler to invade the show, when she attacked Nikki Cross,
Sasha Banks, and
SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley; later that night, Baszler joined
Triple H and the rest of the ''NXT'' roster as they declared war on both
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
and
SmackDown, and vowed to win the
Survivor Series brand warfare. At
NXT TakeOver: WarGames on November 23, Baszler and her team lost against
Rhea Ripley and her team in the first ever women's
WarGames match. On the next day at Survivor Series, Baszler won the
triple threat match against
Raw Women's Champion
The WWE Raw Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two women's world titles for WWE's main roster, along wi ...
Becky Lynch and SmackDown Women's Champion
Bayley to win Survivor Series for the NXT brand. On the December 18 episode of ''NXT'', Baszler lost the championship to Ripley, ending her reign at 416 days, making her the sixth longest reigning women's champion after
Sensational Sherri's reign of 441 days. On January 26, 2020, at
Royal Rumble, she would enter the women's
Royal Rumble match at #30 and go on to eliminate 8 contestants, which tied the record for most eliminations in a women's Royal Rumble match, before being the last woman eliminated by
Charlotte Flair, who would win the match. On the January 22 episode of ''NXT'', Baszler defeated
Shotzi Blackheart in what would be her final match in NXT.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion (2020–2021)
On the February 10 episode of ''
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
'', Baszler made her main roster debut by attacking Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch, biting the back of Lynch's neck furiously. At
Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel st ...
on March 8, Baszler won the
Elimination Chamber match
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel st ...
to become the #1 contender for the Raw Women's Championship, while also setting a record by eliminating every other woman. On the first night of
WrestleMania 36
WrestleMania 36 was the 36th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and NXT brand divisions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic ...
on April 4, Baszler failed to win the title from Lynch after a roll-up pin. At
Money in the Bank on May 10, Baszler failed to win the briefcase which contained the Raw Women's Championship instead of the contract.
At
Payback on August 30, Baszler and
Nia Jax defeated
Bayley and Sasha Banks to win the
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. They lost the titles to
Asuka
Asuka may refer to:
People
* Asuka (name), a list of people
* Asuka (wrestler), professional wrestler
* Asuka (wrestler, born 1998), professional wrestler also known as Veny outside of Japan
Places In Japan
* , an area in Yamato Province (now N ...
and
Charlotte Flair on December 20 at
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs.
On January 31, 2021, at the
Royal Rumble, Baszler and Jax defeated Asuka and Flair to became record-tying
two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champions.
On the second night of
WrestleMania 37 on April 11, Baszler and Jax retained the titles against
Natalya and
Tamina
Sarona Moana Marie Reiher Snuka-Polamalu (born January 10, 1978) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Tamina. She is a one-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champ ...
. After multiple singles and tag team matches between the two teams, Baszler and Jax lost the titles to Natalya and Tamina on the May 14 episode of ''SmackDown''.
On the May 31 episode of ''Raw'', Baszler began feuding with
Alexa Bliss, claiming that the use of Bliss' "powers" were the reason why Baszler and Jax lost the titles. A match between the two was scheduled for
Hell in a Cell on June 20, which Bliss won. Tensions kept rising between Baszler and Jax, and on the September 20 episode of ''Raw'', their alliance ended when she brutally attacked Jax after their match against each other.
Teaming with Natalya (2021–2022)
As part of the
2021 Draft, Baszler was drafted to the
SmackDown brand
SmackDown is a WWE brand extension, brand of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE that was established on March 25, 2002. Brands are divisions of WWE's roster where wrestlers are assigned to perform on a weekly basis when a brand ex ...
.
In October, Baszler entered the
Queen's Crown tournament
The Queen's Crown tournament is a women's professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. Established in 2021, the prize for winning the tournament is earning the moniker of ...
, where she defeated
Dana Brooke in the first round
but lost to
Doudrop in the semi-finals.
She participated in the 5 on 5
Survivor Series elimination match
The Survivor Series match is a professional wrestling tag team elimination match held in WWE. The match typically sees two teams pitted against each other and members of the teams are eliminated one-by-one until one entire team is eliminated. Membe ...
at
Survivor Series on November 21, eliminating
Rhea Ripley before she was eliminated by
Bianca Belair. She also participated in the
Royal Rumble match at the
namesake event on January 19, 2022, entering at #30 but was eliminated by
Charlotte Flair. During this time, Baszler formed a tag team with
Natalya and challenged for the
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, leading to a fatal four-way tag team match for the titles on the second night of
WrestleMania 38 on April 3, which was won by
Sasha Banks and Naomi
Sasha Banks and Naomi, originally known as Team B.A.D., were an American professional wrestling tag team that performed in WWE, where they are former WWE Women's Tag Team Champions.
The inceptive variation of the team began and ended as a duo ...
. On the June 3 episode of ''SmackDown'', Baszler competed in a
six-pack challenge
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
to determine the #1 contender for the
SmackDown Women's Championship, which was won by Natalya. Baszler failed to qualify for the
Money in the Bank ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself becom ...
after losing to
Raquel Rodriguez
Raquel or Racquel is a variation of the given name Rachel (given name), Rachel. Notable people with the name include:
Raquel
*Raquel (wrestler), Brazilian professional wrestler
*Raquel Alessi (born 1983), American former actress and model
*Raquel ...
on the June 17 episode of ''SmackDown'', and a six-woman elimination match on the June 27 episode of ''Raw''. On the August 5 episode of ''SmackDown'', Baszler won a
gauntlet match for the opportunity to face
Liv Morgan for the SmackDown Women's Championship at
Clash at the Castle
WWE Clash at the Castle was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by the American promotion WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on Satu ...
on September 3, but failed to win the title at the event.
Alliance with Ronda Rousey (2022-present)
On the October 28 episode of ''SmackDown,'' Baszler attacked Natalya in a backstage segment, ending their partnership and aligning with SmackDown Women’s Champion and real-life best friend
Ronda Rousey in the process. The following week, with Rousey in her corner, Baszler defeated Natalya. At
Survivor Series WarGames
Survivor Series: WarGames was the 36th annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on S ...
on November 26, Baszler helped Rousey retain her title against
Shotzi.
Other media
Baszler made her WWE video game debut as a playable character in ''
WWE 2K19
''WWE 2K19'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. It was released worldwide on October 9, 2018, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twentieth overall game in the ''WWE' ...
'', and returned for ''
WWE 2K20''. She would also appear in
WWE 2k22
''WWE 2K22'' is a 2022 professional wrestling sports video games, sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It is the twenty-second overall installment of the video game series based on WWE, the ninth game under ...
Personal life
Baszler was born and raised in
Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She has
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
ancestry on her father's side and
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
ancestry on her mother's side. Baszler attended
MidAmerica Nazarene University in
Olathe, Kansas, where she majored in religious studies.
Baszler was a key spokesperson in the movement to create a South Dakota athletic commission for combat sports. She once delivered a speech that touched opposing Rep.
Steve Hickey, who once labeled MMA as the "child porn" of sports. After visiting Baszler at the Next Edge Academy of Martial Arts, the training place of Baszler, as well as other mixed martial arts fighters and practitioners, Hickey changed his mind about the sport.
Outside of combat sports, Baszler coaches the South Dakota-based
roller derby
Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played by two teams of fifteen members. Roller derby is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leagues worldwide, mostly in the United States.
Game play consists of a series of short scrimmages (jam ...
team, the
Sioux Falls Roller Dollz and is a certified
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
Baszler is also a fan of the ''
Warhammer 40,000'' franchise and occasionally incorporates the designs of certain
Space Marine chapters into her ring gear.
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
* Freestyle Cage Fighting
** FCF Women's Bantamweight Grand Prix Championship (1 time)
*
Invicta FC
** Fight of the Night (2 times)
vs. Sara McMann, Alexis Davis
* The Cage Inc.
** TCI Women's 140 lbs Championship (1 time, first)
Submission grappling
*
ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
The ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, is an international submission wrestling, submission grappling competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). The inaugural tournament was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 1998. It has been ...
**
ADCC 2007 Submission Wrestling World Championship Quarterfinalist
* Catch Wrestling Association
** CWA 2016
Frank Gotch World Catch Tournament Gold Medalist
*
International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
**
FILA
Fila Holdings Corp. is a sportswear brand of shoes and apparel. The company was founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Piedmont, Italy. In 2003, it was sold to United States-based Sports Brand International. Sub ...
2009 Grappling World Championships Senior No-Gi Silver Medalist
[https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2009/December/12/Medal-round-results-from-Grapp-21177 ]
**
FILA
Fila Holdings Corp. is a sportswear brand of shoes and apparel. The company was founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Piedmont, Italy. In 2003, it was sold to United States-based Sports Brand International. Sub ...
2009 Grappling World Championships Senior Gi Silver Medalist
[https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2009/December/16/U-S--wins-women-s-Gi-team-titl-21182 ]
*
USA Wrestling
**
FILA
Fila Holdings Corp. is a sportswear brand of shoes and apparel. The company was founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Piedmont, Italy. In 2003, it was sold to United States-based Sports Brand International. Sub ...
2011 World Team Trials Senior No-Gi Gold Medalist
**
FILA
Fila Holdings Corp. is a sportswear brand of shoes and apparel. The company was founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Piedmont, Italy. In 2003, it was sold to United States-based Sports Brand International. Sub ...
2009 World Team Trials Senior Gi Gold Medalist
**
FILA
Fila Holdings Corp. is a sportswear brand of shoes and apparel. The company was founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Piedmont, Italy. In 2003, it was sold to United States-based Sports Brand International. Sub ...
2009 World Team Trials Senior No-Gi Gold Medalist
[https://www.teamusa.org/Media/News/Wrestling/WRESTLINGGRAPPLING-Olympian-Askren-tops-Volkmann-as-US-NoGi-team-is-set-in-US-Grappling-World-Team-Trials ]
**
FILA
Fila Holdings Corp. is a sportswear brand of shoes and apparel. The company was founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Piedmont, Italy. In 2003, it was sold to United States-based Sports Brand International. Sub ...
2007 World Team Trials Senior No-Gi Bronze Medalist
Professional wrestling
* Absolute Intense Wrestling
** AIW Women's Championship (1 time)
*
DDT Pro-Wrestling
**
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (
1 time)
* New Horizon Pro Wrestling
** IndyGurlz Australian Championship (1 time)
** Global Conflict Shield Tournament (2017)
* Premier Wrestling
** Premier Women's Championship (1 time)
*
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
**Ranked No. 4 of the top 100 female wrestlers in the
''PWI'' Female 100 in 2019
** Ranked No. 24 of the top 50 Tag Teams in the ''
PWI Tag Team 50
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishi ...
'' in 2021- with
Nia Jax
* Quintessential Pro Wrestling
** QPW Women's Championship (1 time)
* ''
Sports Illustrated''
** Ranked No. 4 of the top 10 women's wrestlers of the year in 2019
*
WWE
**
NXT Women's Championship (
2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
)
**
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship (
2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
) – with
Nia Jax
**
NXT Year-End Award
The NXT Year-End Awards is a concept used by WWE, where awards, similar to the Academy, Grammy and WWE's own Slammy Awards, are given to professional wrestlers who have competed in NXT in the previous year. There have been five editions of the c ...
(1 time)
*** Female Competitor of the Year (2019)
Mixed martial arts record
, -
, Loss
, align=center , 15–11
,
Reina Miura
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Deep Jewels 15
These are the Deep Jewels events held by the Japanese mixed martial arts (MMA) organization Deep. The ''Jewels'' MMA events were previously held by Jewels before Deep absorbed its operations on .
''Deep Jewels 1''
''Deep Jewels 1'', originally ...
,
, align=center , 2
, align=center , 5:00
,
Tokyo, Japan
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center , 15–10
,
Amanda Nunes
, TKO (leg kick)
,
UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. LaFlare
,
, align=center , 1
, align=center , 1:56
,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center , 15–9
,
Bethe Correia
Bethe Correia (; born June 22, 1983) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the women's bantamweight division. A professional mixed martial artist since 2012, Correia has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Earl ...
, TKO (punches)
,
UFC 177
,
, align=center , 2
, align=center , 1:56
,
Sacramento, California, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center , 15–8
,
Alexis Davis
, Technical Submission (rear-naked choke)
,
Invicta FC 4: Esparza vs. Hyatt
,
, align=center , 3
, align=center , 0:58
,
Kansas City
The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
,
Kansas, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center , 15–7
,
Sarah D'Alelio
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
,
Invicta FC 3: Penne vs. Sugiyama
,
, align=center , 2
, align=center , 0:37
,
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of the ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center , 14–7
,
Sara McMann
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann
,
, align=center , 3
, align=center , 5:00
,
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of the ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center , 14–6
,
Elaina Maxwell
Elaina Maureen Maxwell (born December 16, 1978) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, and professional kickboxer.
As a three-time San Shou Champion & BJJ purple belt, she trains under the guidance of Kirian Fitzgibbons and Cesar Grac ...
, Submission (kneebar)
, The Cage Inc.: Battle at the Border 7
,
, align=center , 1
, align=center , 4:03
,
Hankinson, North Dakota, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center , 13–6
,
Adrienna Jenkins
Adrienna Jenkins (born July 22, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Women's Featherweight division of Bellator.
She now currently works as a MMA referee/ judge.
Mixed martial arts career
Jenkins made her MMA debut in 2 ...
, Submission (armbar)
, Freestyle Cage Fighting 43
,
, align=center , 1
, align=center , 2:12
,
Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center , 12–6
,
Alexis Davis
, Decision (unanimous)
, Freestyle Cage Fighting 40
,
, align=center , 3
, align=center , 5:00
,
Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center , 11–6
,
Megumi Yabushita
, Submission (twister)
, Freestyle Cage Fighting 39
,
, align=center , 1
, align=center , 4:50
,
Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center , 10–6
,
Sarah Kaufman
Sarah Elizabeth Kaufman (born September 20, 1985) is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist (MMA). She competed in the women's bantamweight division where she is a former Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship. Kaufman was the inaugural Strike ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Strikeforce Challengers: Villasenor vs. Cyborg
,
, align=center , 3
, align=center , 5:00
,
Kent, Washington
Kent is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue metropolitan area and had a population of 136,588 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest municipality in greater Seattle and t ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center , 10–5
,
Cris Cyborg
, TKO (punches)
,
EliteXC: Unfinished Business
,
, align=center , 2
, align=center , 2:48
,
Stockton, California
Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. Stockton was founded by Carlos Maria Weber in 1849 after he acquir ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center , 10–4
,
Keiko Tamai
, Submission (twister)
,
ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series
,
, align=center , 1
, align=center , 2:05
,
Friant, California, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center , 9–4
,
Jennifer Tate
, Submission (armbar)
,
ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series
,
, align=center , 1
, align=center , 0:44
,
Santa Ynez, California, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center , 8–4
,
Jan Finney
, Submission (armbar)
,
ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series
,
, align=center , 1
, align=center , 2:40
,
Santa Ynez, California, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center , 7–4
, Samantha Gavere
, Submission (kimura)
, NFF: The Breakout
,
, align=center , 1
, align=center , 1:00
,
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center , 6–4
,
Tara LaRosa
Tara may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Tara'' (1992 film), an Indian film directed by Bijaya Jena
* ''Tara'' (2001 film), an American film, also known as ''Hood Rat'', directed by Leslie Small
* ''Tara'' (2010 film), a ...
, TKO (punches)
, BodogFight: Costa Rica
,
, align=center , 2
, align=center , 3:15
, Costa Rica
,
, -
, Win
, align=center , 6–3
,
Roxanne Modafferi
, Submission (hammerlock)
, MARS: BodogFight
,
, align=center , 1
, align=center , 1:08
,
Tokyo, Japan
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center , 5–3
, Amanda Buckner
, TKO (punches)
, MFC: USA vs Russia 3
,
, align=center , 3
, align=center , 3:03
,
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497. , United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center , 5–2
,
Julie Kedzie
, Submission (armbar)
, Freestyle Combat Challenge 22
,
, align=center , 1
, align=center , N/A
,
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River. Racine is situated 22 miles (35 km) south of Milwaukee and approximately 60 ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center , 4–2
, Amanda Buckner
, Submission (armbar)
, Ring of Fire 20: Elite
,
, align=center , 1
, align=center , 4:28
,
Castle Rock, Colorado, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center , 4–1
, Cindy Romero
, TKO (submission to punches)
, UCS: Battle At The Barn 9
,
, align=center , 1
, align=center , N/A
,
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota, the city is the home and birthplace of the renowned Mayo Clinic.
Acco ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center , 3–1
, Heather Lobs
, Submission (choke)
, Jungle Madness 2
,
, align=center , 1
, align=center , 1:51
,
Minnesota, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center , 2–1
, Kelly Kobold
, TKO (submission to punches)
, Reality Cage Fighting
,
, align=center , 2
, align=center , 2:20
,
South Dakota, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center , 2–0
, Christy Zimmerman
, Submission (armbar)
, Reality Cage Fighting
,
, align=center , 1
, align=center , N/A
,
South Dakota, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center , 1–0
, Tina Johnson
, Submission (armbar)
, Reality Cage Fighting
,
, align=center , 1
, align=center , 1:20
,
South Dakota, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 1–1
,
Julianna Peña
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
, rowspan=2,
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate
, (air date)
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 3:08
, rowspan=2,
Las Vegas,
Nevada, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 1–0
,
Colleen Schneider
Colleen Schneider (born March 12, 1982 in Syracuse, New York) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist. Colleen was a contestant in season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter reality competition television show.
Early life
She attended C ...
, Submission (armbar)
, (air date)
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:24
,
See also
*
List of female mixed martial artists
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Shayna Baszlerat Awakening Fighters
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baszler, Shayna
1980 births
American female mixed martial artists
American female professional wrestlers
American people of German descent
American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
American sportspeople of Chinese descent
Bantamweight mixed martial artists
Mixed martial artists utilizing catch wrestling
Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Bisexual sportspeople
Bisexual women
Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners
LGBT American people of Asian descent
LGBT professional wrestlers
LGBT Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners
LGBT mixed martial artists
American LGBT sportspeople
Living people
Mixed martial artists from South Dakota
Professional wrestlers from South Dakota
Professional wrestling managers and valets
Ultimate Fighting Championship female fighters
People from Sioux Falls, South Dakota
NXT Women's Champions
21st-century American women
21st-century professional wrestlers
LGBT people from South Dakota
WWE Women's Tag Team Champions
Ironman Heavymetalweight Champions